Flutpox
by thecucumberqueen
Summary: Damas smiled as if it was an inside joke. "Guess which one of our most   powerful warriors seemed to have fallen victim to the Flutpox?"    Sig's mouth twisted into a smile, then opened to a laugh. "That's not   something you hear everyday." 2 part story.
1. Chapter 1

Flutpox.

I own nothing.:)

Enjoy!

...

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Jak! Heeeelllp!"

Jak merely rolled his eyes at Daxter's screams. The metalheads that  
>enclosed him from his friend neared, snarling and snapping at his<br>heels and knees, forcing him to spin in circles. He heard a growl from  
>behind and ducked just for a smaller one to fly over his head and into<br>a wall. It hit the ground with a thud, scrambling back to it's feet to  
>rejoin the attack.<p>

It's attack, although a fail, led the others. At once the throng of  
>metalhead's threw themselves at him, biting and clawing for his chest<br>and neck. Jak used his empty gun like a bat to defend himself. He  
>cracked it against ones scull, it's deep coloured blood splattering<br>across his shirt. It fell limp at his feet.

Jak spun around as one dug it's teeth and claws into side. A growl  
>escaped him. He could feel a pulsating sensation under his skin,<br>fighting it's way out. The darkness started to take over. His vision  
>redened, becoming sharper and more vivid. His mind cleared,<br>understanding the animals moves before they made them, becoming an  
>animal himself.<p>

Black claws slashed at the metalheads with enough power to kill. They  
>drew back, but Jak kept attacking. Blood filthied the walls and floors<br>of the caves. Bodies were spew on the ground until only Jak stood.  
>Slowly he felt himself come back. The monster retracted itself,<br>leaving him weak and out of breath. His head pounded as he looked at  
>the carnage. He winced away, turning his head from the lifeless eyes<br>that seemed to stare at him.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, so quiet even Daxter couldn't hear from  
>where he hung overhead.<p>

"Uhh Jak?"

Jak jerked upright at Daxter's voice. "Almost forget about me buddy?"  
>he joked. "Well I'll just be hanging here, until you decide to help me<br>out."

Jak rolled his eyes, turnng his head up. His nose nearly met Daxter's.  
>Daxter gave him a lopsided grin, his bright eyes beaming down at Jak.<br>"You have beautiful eyes."

Jak chortled, slapping Daxter so he swung around by the rope his foot  
>had caught on. Daxter groaned. "I'm gonna hurl all over you if you<br>don't get me down! Ja-ak!"

Jak stood off to the side, crossing his arms together for good  
>measure. After a second he gave in though.<p>

Using one hand he grabbed Daxter's waist, snapping the rope with one  
>quick jerk. Daxter crawled up his arm to his shoulder, taking his<br>usual perch. "Did you see that one guy I took on Jak?" he asked,  
>untangling his small orange foot from the ropes.<p>

The edges of Jak's mouth pulled up. "The one you managed to hang  
>yourself by your foot running from?"<p>

Daxter sniffed indignantly, tossing the strings aside. "It was an  
>obvious booty trap set for a rodent sized hero as myself. It could've<br>happened to anyone, really,"

Jak couldn't even bring himself to roll his eyes at the ridiculous  
>statement. "Really," he just agreed, barely covering a laugh. Even in<br>the gore he created and hated himself for, Daxter could bring him up.

"Well, while you were busy over in the corner making small talk with  
>them suckers, I was over here-Sig!"<p>

"Daxter!" Sig greeted, his large form coming out from around the  
>corner just a few seconds after Daxter had yelled his name. Behind him<br>appeared Damas. Jak stopped, crossing his arms across his chest and  
>waited for them to join him.<p>

"Looks like you had all the fun yourself." Sig whistled low, peeking  
>above Jak's blonde hair to the metalheads.<p>

"Yeah, fun," Jak growled, not noticably pained to anyone but Daxter,  
>who remained unmoved.<p>

"You should've there! It was crazy, so I was running on this beam-"

Jak zoned out, turning his attention to the larger men. Sig was  
>listened amused to Daxter's story, adding to it with new terms that<br>would no doubt appear in the newer version. Damas, King of Sparta,  
>listened instensly. He stood like a statue, tall and strong and proud.<br>His face barely showed any emotion, yet it was easily said he heard  
>every word being uttered and even beyond the word itself. Damas hadn't<br>even spoken yet, but the utmost respect still infaltrated everyone  
>near him.<p>

Jak looked down bashedly as the king's blue eyes flicked to him.  
>Absent mindedly Jak scratched at his ribs that itched. His hand came<br>back red. He looked down at his ripped shirt, bloodied. It could had  
>easily been the metalhead's fluids, but the sharp pang he felt with<br>every breath assured him otherwise. He could feel a pulsating under  
>his skin, driving him further into the cavern.<p>

It was a different feeling than that of 'Dark'. When Dark Eco was  
>present and wanted to be used, it throbbed against his skin like<br>little needles, wild and promising perfect anarchy. Red Eco tingled  
>with energy from his chest outwards; while Yellow felt like a layer of<br>heat just below his skin, turning and stirring just waiting to be  
>released. Blue Eco made him feel as high as a kite and full of<br>euphoria, like he was untouchable. Light Eco was like nothing else; it  
>was powerful, full of control. It was like swimming in the ocean or<br>flying high in the sky or anything equalvilant in beauty and peace and  
>power. Green Eco though- Green beated like a heart, calming him and<br>kissing the hurt away like a mother.

Maybe it was because it was the first Eco he ever channeled knowingly,  
>and the one he grew up with, learning every bit of its powers from<br>Samos, but it always made him feel like he was at home. Maybe everyone  
>felt it; maybe it was in the healing properties themselves. Whatever<br>it was, that was what he was feeling now, a little heart beat under  
>his skin pulling him back towards the carnage, where beyond it lay<br>Green Eco.

He felt the stinging on his side, but couldn't bare to go back and  
>look at the reminder of what he became. He thought back to the black<br>eyes, staring at him. Glazed over...scared...

Vile started to rise in his throat. He bit it back, wincing as the  
>acidic vomit burned his throat. He raised his eyes from the ground,<br>the feeling of nausea passing. "Uh- you alright there Jak?" Daxter's  
>voice came from his shoulder.<p>

Jak's glazed eyes flicked from face to face alarmed. He swallowed  
>hard. "Uh- yeah fine. Just a little hot...um I'll be- I gotta go."<p>

Daxter leapt from his perch as Jak lurched forewards, scratching at  
>his side. Sig frowned and went to follow, but Damas held up his hand.<br>"Clear the area Sig, I don't want any metalheads, eggs or not, to  
>survive."<p>

"What about the kid?"

"I'll check on Jak. You just complete the mission."

Sig looked unsure for a second, but followed his orders none-the-less.  
>"Common cherry, take a ride." He knelt to the ground so Daxter could<br>reach his shoulder.

"Woo-wee! I can see for miles from up here! Giddy yup!"

Sig laughed good naturely. "Calm down there Chili Pepper, hate for you  
>to have an accident up there."<p>

Damas smiled at their antics as he walked away. As he stepped out of  
>the entrance, the bright sun of the desert shone upon his face. He<br>shut his eyes and allowed it to soak in. Fresh air filled his lungs,  
>the wet musty scent of the cave slowly disapating.<p>

He saw Jak's figure not to far off by the vehicles. He was slumped on  
>a dune of sand, his hair appearing nearly transparent in the sun. The<br>king made his way to the teen, his feet making the smallest of sounds  
>on the sand.<p>

Damas sat quietly, stretching his legs out infront of him staring at  
>the desert that seemed to go on forever. He didn't speak, he just<br>waited. And waited. And waited. As the minutes flew by Damas warily  
>flicked his eyes over to Jak who remained unmoved aside from the odd<br>scratch or twitch. His knees were drawn to his chest, his arms wrapped  
>around them. His blue eyes stared out to the distance as if a storm<br>was brewing instead of the nearly perfect day it was. Outside of the  
>heart of battle he appeared less malicous, and more lost and vengeful<br>and like the confused kid he was. Damas nearly regretted speaking, but  
>he knew he didn't have forever.<p>

"Jak-"

Jak jerked suddenly, throwing his body back desending into a defensive  
>stance. He glared at Damas with glazed eyes, his mouth just opened<br>enough to let a steady stream of breath in and out. In many ways he  
>reminded Damas as a stray dog he once encountered on a road.<p>

Damas slowly moved his hand into Jak's vision. "Jak," he said slowly,  
>cooning him back. "Jak, I'm not going to hurt you."<p>

Slowly Jak's eyes cleared, the silver melting out of them. As  
>realisation settled in Jak slumped in the sand. "Sorry," he muttered,<br>wrapping his arm around his chest.

Damas frowned. "When was the last time you slept?"

"What?"

"When was the last time you slept?" Damas repeated, slightly more  
>sterner.<p>

Jak shrugged. "I sleep when I can."

He shivered slightly, just for a moment before he took control over  
>his body again but it didn't escape Damas. It was boiling hot out, no<br>one in good health would be shivering.

"What are your symptoms?"

Jak looked up aggravated. "What symptoms? I don't need your concerns,  
>I take care of myself."<p>

"You're my soldier, my citizen, and thus my concern. Now tell me your  
>symptoms, unless you wish to disobey the Monarch of the Wastelands."<br>Damas shot back.

Jak scowled. "The only reason I follow you is because I'm going to  
>kill the Baron, and your my best in. Anything beyond missions and<br>leads I don't care about. Anything besides my success doesn't matter  
>to you. That's how it works."<p>

Damas snorted. "I'm not asking. I say how things work, and this is how  
>it's working. Now tell me how you feel dammit before you make this any<br>harder."

Jak scowled. "I'm fine, 'sir'."

Damas sighed. "You're as stubborn headed as a pig."

"At least I got better survival rate than them."

Damas growled. "You're really not going to make this easier?"

Jak reamined silent. An easy task for a mute of fifteen years.

Damas growled. He had patience. A great amount of patience. But this  
>kid was running him dry.<p>

"I just want to make sure you're not going to drop dead in ten  
>minutes. Anything bite you in there? Infect you maybe?"<p>

Jak gritted his teeth for a moment, holding back so the king knew that  
>his next words weren't of defeat, but of his choice. "Dark Eco doesn't<br>hurt me. Or did you already forget that your 'soldier' is a Dark Eco  
>freak already?"<p>

Damas frowned. Of course he remembered. Had it been any other citizen  
>and he would've banned them to the Maraunders out of disrespect, but<br>Jak was his secret weapon. And although it would never be worded, the  
>kid had grown on him through the short time period since they had met.<p>

Damas studied Jak again. He looked a little green in the face, and  
>like he was in freezing temperatures instead of a desert. Something<br>inside him told him it was a little more than the common flu. After  
>all Jak's been through, it would take a lot for him go show discomfort<br>like this. Damas slowly formed a plan in his mind.

"Let me take a look on the bites on you side. Dark Eco or not you  
>still can die from blood lost."<p>

Jak looked up surprised of Damas' knowledge of his injury. At first he  
>looked as if prepared to refuse, but something crossed his face and he<br>started pulling his armour over his head.

Damas hid it, but he was surprised at how easily Jak gave in. Maybe he  
>figured it'd stop the king from pressing for anything else. Whatever<br>it was, Damas wasn't complaining.

He gently led Jak to lie on the ground so he could get a clear view of  
>the torn flesh. There were four clear holes were the metalheads canine<br>bit into the skin, two on his stomach and the remainders on his back.  
>There were torn, jagged cuts leading from them to meet in the middle<br>creating two parallel lines. Damas had seen worse, but he couldn't  
>look away out of some sort of twisted fascination. It was like<br>something he'd never seen.

The Dark Eco was visible in it, giving the cuts a shiny black look.  
>However, as Damas studied it further, he saw that the Eco wasn't<br>infecting the blood or even cut as it had always, but it seemed almost  
>to be mending the cut. Strands of Eco appeared from sides of the cut,<br>intertwining with each other weaving over the gap between skin. Layer  
>by layer the Eco got closer to the surface, not pulling the skin<br>together like Green Eco, but creating new skin. It was almost beautiful.

Jak's harsh laugh brought Damas back. "First time watched it I started  
>freaking out. Thought it was going to like completely engulf me or<br>something once it passed the surface,"

Damas shook his head, refusing to look back at the cut. "When was the  
>first time?"<p>

Jak peered around as if looking for something. "A couple years back,"

Damas didn't press. Sig had filled him in on what he knew, which was  
>limited. Jak was one of the Baron's experiments, and the only one that<br>lived. Daxter rescued him after a two years of being held captive  
>there, but in those two years the Baron somehow turned Jak into a<br>weapon of Dark Eco. Damas was curious as to what excactly happened,  
>but knew that that wound was still too fresh.<p>

Instead he brought his attention back to the cut, forcing himself not  
>to be drawn in. "Will it heal itself?"<p>

Jak picked up a handful of sand letting, it run through his fingers  
>into a pile on the ground. He itched at his neck absent mindedly. "In<br>a way. It covers it up, kinda like patching up a hole, so it won't get  
>worse. I can channel Green Eco into it which pretty well makes it as<br>good as new, no scar or anything, but if I don't do it soon enough the  
>Dark Eco does the job. Burns like a bitch whenever I get close enough<br>to more Dark Eco, and leaves a wicked scar."

Damas could see that. All along Jak's forearms were nearly flurescent  
>scars, seeming almost see through, but yet if he tilted his head jut a<br>bit they changed and turned metalic. At the edge of Jak's shirt on his  
>chest, just below where it was pulled up to to reveal his injury was a<br>large scar same as the ones on his arms, except for in size. It  
>travelled upwards before disappearing, and was about and inch thick.<p>

And just beside it was a small pink dot. Damas peered at it curiously,  
>noticing others along Jak's stomach and side same as the first. He ran<br>his fingers over them gently, feeling as they slightly rose over the  
>bumps, his skin hot. Scratch marks, a light pink, stood out<br>prominently now, the original shock of the cut gone. Not metalhead  
>scratches, human fingernail scratches.<p>

Damas almost started laughing. "Jak, have you ever had Flutpox?"

Jak's blue eyes flicked over warily. "What?"

Crunching sand from behind grabbed both of their attention for a  
>moment as they watched Sig's hulking figure approach with Daxter on<br>his shoulder. Jak yanked his shirt down protectively and sat up,  
>crossing his legs. Daxter jumped from Sig's shoulder, his paws leaving<br>barely a dent in the sand behind him as he ran to Jak on all four.

"So what's the verdict doc? He gonna make it?" Jak gave Daxter a look  
>in which Daxted smiled cheekily too. "I knew you'd say that. You need<br>to calm down my friend. Sit back, put your feet up, sip on a cold one.  
>You do know how to relax, right?"<p>

Completely lost in Daxter's rambling Damas looked to Sig. Something in  
>his friend's eyes made Sig wonder. "What are you thinking..?" Sig<br>murmered under his breath to the king.

Damas smiled as if it was an inside joke. "Guess which one of our most  
>powerful warriors seemed to have fallen victim to the Flutpox?"<p>

Sig's mouth twisted into a smile, then opened to a laugh. "That's not  
>something you hear everyday."<p>

Off to the side Daxter was still rambling on, incoherentable to anyone  
>but Jak. "But that was one time! If it was-"<p>

"Hey, chili peppers, quiet down. We gotta get back to the city.  
>Kleiver said he felt a storm this morning. We're moving out. Oh and<br>Jak, you might want to take it easy until itch goes away. Hate for you  
>to pass it on to anyone else. Then again, most the town's already got<br>it when they were kids."

Jak stalked of to his vehicle in annoyance. Daxter already questioning  
>him on his shoulder. Damas yelled out from behind. "If it gets worse I<br>have some creams! Stop by if you want, it'll-"

Jak revved the engine on to the $&&$. He floored it, disappearing  
>between large dunes of sands.<p>

Sig and Damas stood where Jak had left them, watching the buggy as it  
>rode over dunes. Sig chuckled silently, gaining a grin from Damas. "I<br>barely remember getting the Flutpox, I was just little toddler,"

"As was everyone else. It's a child's sickness. Most get it before  
>they turn four, in Haven or way out here. How he managed to dodge it<br>until now I don't understand."

Sig laughed cruely. "Well they say it only gets worse the older you  
>are. I think we'll be seeing Jak again sooner than later."<p>

Damas joined the laughter, pulling the keys to his vehicle from his  
>pouch. "Right you are Sig, right you are." <p>


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2- Flutpox

Enjoy! I own nothing:)

. . .

"Stop rolling will yah!"

"I'm. So. Itchy!" Jak nearly screamed, attcking his skin. It was  
>beyond dark outside, having no lighting outside like Haven did. The<br>heat was making him sticky and sweaty. He smelt beyond disgusting. And  
>he itched SO bad.<p>

Daxter sat up from beside Jak. "If it's so bad go to the healer and  
>get some ointment. You're gonna break skin. I swear if I wake up with<br>blood on me tomorrow..-"

Jak growled loudly, shutting Daxter up. He was scratching a  
>particularly itching spot when it started to sting. A stingy itch. A<br>sweaty, bloody, stingy itch. "Argh!"

Daxter groaned dramatically. "I need my sleep. If you don't want to go  
>to the healers just go to Damas. He said he had sone stuff. And let me<br>sleep!"

Knowing sleep wasn't even an option at this point Jak climbed out of  
>the single bed, walking from the small hut they inhabited. As he left<br>a warm breeze dried his skin slightly, giving him the slightest  
>relief. A flut flut chirped at him as he walked by. He gave it a dirty<br>look. "Stupid bird and your pox."

Absent mindedly he scratched at his face, freezing suddenly. No...  
>The dots had managed to spread to his face. Jak dug his fingernails<br>into his palm drawing blood to stop himself, but the urge was too  
>great. After a few short seconds he started convulsing with the need<br>for relief. "Argh!" He clawed at his skin mercilessly, gaining him  
>frightened looks from any late night travellers.<p>

The itch seemed to only grow the more he scratched instead of  
>lessening. Finally he yelled in frustration, beginning to jog to the<br>palace.

As the elevator shifted him upwards to Damas' dorm Jak jumped on the  
>spot, goosebumps beginning to cover his body, his sweat feeling like<br>icy water. It's been like that since the beginning of the night, hot  
>flashes and then cold flashes. It's like the gods were trying to make<br>him miserable.

When the elevator finally jolted to a stop Jak nearly ran off it. To  
>his surprise it was dark in the room. He hadn't planned on the king<br>being sleeping. With the itch urging him forewards he took a few  
>tentative steps to the sleeping kings form.<p>

A harsh whisper tugged Damas out of the dream world "Damas...Damas?"  
>He opened his eyes sleepily, his eyes making out blue eyes in the<br>dark. He smiled sleepily. Mar was probably awoken from another  
>nightmare. He reached his hand out for Mar's.<p>

"Damas."

Damas' eyes snapped open fully, his hand dropping, unnoticed to his  
>visitor. "Jak," he greeted quietly, trying to regain his sense of<br>mind. The soft sound of fabric being scratched brought the smile back  
>to his face though. "I take it you're here for some ointment?"<p>

Jak only nodded, following the king in silence across the room. The  
>lights flicked on suddenly, hurting Jak's eyes. He blinked a few<br>times, looking to Damas as he turned around from a cabinet with a  
>clear bottle in his hand. "Go sit on my bed," Damas ordered softly.<br>"I'll be back."

Jak watched as Damas disappeared into a hallway, leaving Jak alone.  
>Awkwardly he crossed the room, sitting ontop of his hands at the very<br>edge of the in made bed. He shivered violently, already a sweat  
>starting to break out again.<p>

Relief flooded him against his better judgement when Damas returned  
>quickly, towel in one hand, the clear bottle and a small dark purple<br>veil in the other.

He set the items on the side desk gently, turning back to Jak without  
>a word. Damas felt his head with the back of his hand, frowning. "Have<br>you been drinking enough? You've got a bad fever. It's rare, but the  
>odd citizen doss die from this. I'll get a wet cloth for you're<br>forehead later."

Jak shuffled awkwardly, twitching at the pain he wa feeling from the  
>desire to itch. He wasn't use to be treated like such a kid. The only<br>times someone had treated him for sickness or injury was Samos, who  
>lectured him more than cared, and the workers for the Baron;<br>constently checking his vitals and temperature for change.

He watched as Damas poured a few drops of the clear bottle onto the  
>towel. He wondered if Damas had ever done this for his son before he<br>disappeared? Or who had done this for Damas himself? It was such a  
>small act, caring for the sick. Yet it seemed so significant at that<br>point to Jak, he had to bite his lip to keep himself from asking a  
>stupid question.<p>

"Could you take off you're tunic and lie on your stomach?" Damas  
>asked, popping the cork back onto the bottle.<p>

Jak followed his directions, crossing his arms infront of him and  
>resting his head in them, facing the wall.<p>

"Where did you grow up? There's not many adults walking around that  
>hadn't contracted this."<p>

Jak hissed as the wet towel touched the bumps, burning them intensly.  
>He shut his eyes, and focused on breathing. In and out. In and out.<br>"It was a little village called Sandover." He gave a heartless laugh.  
>"Well I guess it'd be called Dead Town now."<p>

Damas dabbed at the bumps gently, doing his best to ignore the  
>shimmering scars that criss-crossed the younger man's back covering<br>it. They were short small lines, the quantity of them causing Damas to  
>clench his fists at them. He could barely imagine what caused some of<br>them. "And how about your family. Any brothers or sisters?" he asked,  
>trying to draw his attention away from the pain, aswell as the topic<br>of Jak's father.

"No. Not that I know of anyways. Never knew my mom neither."

Damas frowned. "Who raised you then?"

"Don't remember. I've forgotten everything until I was about five. And  
>then it was mainly the village's Sage, and the villagers."<p>

"Sage?"

"It's confusing."

Damas sighed as yet anoter topic was shut down. He moved onto the  
>lower half of Jak's back, apologizing at Jak's grunt of discomfort.<br>"You're wound is gone. I see you found some Green Eco to heal youself  
>with."<p>

Jak gave a grunt, oblivious to Damas small smirk. 'And probably to try  
>to get rid of the itch,' he laughed silently. It had long since been<br>discovered Green Eco's effects on Flutpox was completely useless.

"How old are you? I treat you as an equal, but sometimes it seems  
>uncomfortable for you."<p>

Jak brows came together. "Seventeen. And it's not uncomfortable, I  
>just don't like following orders much, or working with others." Or<br>talking he added silently.

"Flip," Damas ordered, looking proudly down at Jak's spotless back. It  
>took a lot of effort, but eventually Jak managed to get himself sorted<br>out. He frowned, his head fuzzy. "What's that stuff?" he asked, his  
>eyes almost shutting on their own accord. He doubted if he could even<br>raise a finger at this point.

"It called Saphorixe, or Sap, for short. It might make you feel tired  
>or lightheaded, but it's the best remedy for Flutpox. Though it's<br>becoming quite rare. The plants used to make it are slowly  
>disappearing."<p>

Jak frowned in his head, but didn't complain. If it made the itch go  
>away, he had no complaints.<p>

Jak giggled quietly. "I kinda...like it. I feel free, and happy. And  
>good,"<p>

Damas laughed at Jak's grogginess. Usually kids just pass out. He  
>figured since Jak was bigger it just made him a little out of it.<p>

"I like feeling like this," he continued. "I used to feel like this a  
>lot, before I landed in stupid Haven City."<p>

Damas froze, his eyes looking to Jak's solemn face. "Why?"

"Why! Because stupid Baron Praxis! Because his stupid Dark Eco needles  
>and his stupid guards. And the stupid chains and that chair...that<br>fucking Chair! The stupid fucking chair! Peice of shit! Fuming worst  
>peice of furniture. Ever!"<p>

Damas stepped back as Jak's skin begain to turn to a grey, his scars  
>coloured perfectly to blend in. "Jak...calm down Jak it's okay.." he<br>whispered calmly.

"No it's not!" Jak roared, his eyes opening to reveal completly black  
>orbs. "No it's not okay! You can't do that to someone...it's not<br>right! I was a fucking kid; I was only fifteen. And now I can't even  
>shut my fucking eyes without seeing it."<p>

"Seeing what?" Damas pressed, more memorized at the beauty of the  
>monster than frightened.<p>

"It! Everything! God dammit it hurt...it hurt so much," he whimpered,  
>his face twisted in pain. "Argh!" Jak slumped back down in the bed<br>defeated. Cautiously Damas sat at the edge of the bed, touching the  
>greyed hair gently. Jak moaned in protest. "Shh..." Damas whispered,<br>running his hand down the transforming-blonde hair to the crevice in  
>his neck which he rubbed affectionatly. "Shh...just sleep. It'll be<br>alright it the morning. Just sleep."

Jak pulled his knnes higher to his chest, sinking comfortably into the  
>mattress. As he calmed he changed back, he natural tan coming back,<br>this horns and nails retracting into his skin.

"Shh." Damas soothed, continuing to rub his back until he was certain  
>the youth had fallen asleep. He let out a sigh of relief. 'Never treat<br>someone full grown with Sap,' he mentally noted to himself.

He cleaned up slowly and quietly, making sure not to wake Jak. He left  
>the purple vile on the table for tomorrow morning. It was supossed to<br>help with the chills and fever, but it could wait for morning. For now  
>he just dampened a cloth, placing it on his warriors forehead, gently.<p>

He smiled down at Jak's relaxed face, the age seventeen not seeming so  
>unbelievable now. He pulled the sheets up from where they lay rejected<br>at the bottom of the bed. He tugged them up to Jak's chin, letting it  
>settle gently on his sleeping figure.<p>

"Goodnight warrior," he whispered, as he had everynight for four years  
>until his son had been captured. He looked out the window distantly.<br>"Goodnight Mar," he breathed, relishing the words on his tongue.

He shut his eyes and listened. Nothing. Nothing but Jak's light  
>breathing. He hadn't gotten a response in two years.<p>

It was all he ever got, nothing.

And it was all he'd ever get until the day he died.

:'( 


End file.
